About Us

David Weaver, CCA

David is President of the Compensation & HR Group and is responsible for all consulting functions within the organization.

Prior to joining the Compensation & HR Group, David spent 20 years managing a human resources membership and consulting organization. He has also held positions with industry leaders Liberty Mutual, Honeywell and Hewlett-Packard as a corporate human resources professional. During this period, he gained essential hands-on experience in compensation program development, marketing and internal communications.

A graduate of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, David has also made his mark in academia, having served as adjunct faculty member for both Northeastern University and Newbury College where he taught courses in Compensation Management and Human Resource Management. He also worked as an instructor for the certification courses at the Compensation Analyst Academy, WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Jim Gray, CCA

Jim is Head of Compensation Consulting and is responsible for designing compensation programs and incentive plans (including plans at the executive level).

Jim has more than 30 years of experience as a consultant and as a corporate HR professional, during which time he has been responsible for the design and implementation of compensation and benefit programs, health services and worker’s compensation, and company employee assistance programs. Previously, Jim was VP of Consulting Services at The Survey Group. In addition, he’s held key roles at Lockheed Martin, Itek Corporation, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Continental Can Company. He is also an Instructor for the Compensation Analyst Academy.

Jim earned an MBA at the University of Bridgeport, and has been an adjunct faculty member at both Southern New Hampshire University and Rivier College, teaching courses in Compensation/Benefits Management and Organizational Behavior. He is also an Instructor for the Compensation Analyst Academy and he is the author of “Compensation Management in a Knowledge-Based World”, a compensation workbook.

Karen Ahern, CEBS, CCP, GRP, SHRM-SCP

Karen is Head of Human Resources Consulting bringing over 25 years of corporate human resources leadership experience to the team specializing in total rewards programs to create the essential employee value proposition required to capture retention and engagement in high performing teams. Within high-growth and emerging corporate environments, she designs strategic organizational development programs for the achievement of critical corporate objectives while protecting human capital and culture.

Karen’s experience includes providing innovative solutions in all aspects of the human resources arena including culture and engagement, compensation and benefits, executive compensation, workforce planning and design, training and development, talent acquisition and leadership assessment and coaching.

Previously, Karen was a member of the executive team with Planet Fitness Corporate Headquarters as VP of People and Culture and has held leadership positions with Constant Contact, Comcast and American Student Assistance.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Merrimack College and the Human Resources Management Professional certification from Bentley University. She has earned the professional certifications of CEBS, CCP, GRP and SHRM-SCP.

Erin Hoye, CCP, CCA

Erin is a Senior Compensation Consultant and is a frequent seminar leader on compensation topics. She is also an Instructor for the Compensation Analyst Academy. Through her work she helps a wide range of organizations assess their compensation structures, variable and executive pay programs and sales programs, for competitiveness and effectiveness.

With over 20 years of experience in compensation and human resources, Erin has a strong background in building pay structures, market analysis, job evaluation, FLSA and wage laws, and compensation policy development. Her track record working in industry is equally impressive, with compensation-related positions at The Survey Group, New England Baptist Hospital, Jordan’s Furniture and Sovereign Bank, along with a variety of human resources positions at Harvard University, Marcam Corp., BankBoston and Fleet Bank.

Erin has a Bachelor’s Degree from Providence College and is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) through WorldatWork.

Sandra Makhlouta, CCP, CCA

Sandra is a Senior Compensation Consultant with over 10 years of experience in human resources, Sandra has worked on a broad spectrum of compensation projects including market analysis, job evaluation, reward and recognition, incentives, salary planning, survey participation, union compensation, and pay equity.

Sandra has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics with a concentration in Business and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Framingham State University and is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) through WorldatWork and a Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA) through the Compensation Analyst Academy.

Dan Weaver, CCA

Dan is a Senior Human Resources Specialist and he has experience in human resources consulting, survey administration, mental health counseling and social media management, Dan brings a unique mix of interpersonal, technical and organizational skills to the Compensation & HR Group team.

In particular, Dan’s work focuses on developing and administering CHRG’s compensation and benefits surveys. On any given day, you’ll find Dan hard at work, analyzing surveys, developing custom surveys and managing CHRG’s social media presence.

A lifelong musician (saxophone), Dan is a UMass Amherst graduate. In addition, he is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is a Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA).

Lauren Duffy, CCA

Lauren is a Human Resources leader with over 15 years of diverse experience across all HR functional areas.

Prior to working as a Human Resources Consultant, she held HR positions in the healthcare, hospitality/call center and apparel industries. Lauren has held roles in Total Rewards where she focused on programs and initiatives in the areas of compensation, benefits, HRIS, rewards and recognition, performance management and HR operations, all through rapid global growth and company acquisition. Lauren has also lead HR teams as a Director of Human Resources, overseeing all HR functions as both a strategic and tactical leader in the areas of talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational development, training, HR Communications and compliance. She is passionate about building trusted relationships with her colleagues and clients, while delivering exceptional results.

Lauren is a graduate of Providence College, with a BA in Humanities and Business Studies Certificate. Lauren is also a Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA).

Lanning L. Levine, CCA

Is a CHRO of public and private companies with over 30 years of experience in Human Resources and executive management. He has been addressing compensation challenges with an emphasis on variable pay, Executive Compensation and Incentive plan design. Lanning’s senior management experience uniquely provides the Executive perspective to plan design, communication and implementation of the design and implementation of compensation and benefit programs as well as global total rewards programs.

He has held key HR leadership roles with American Science and Engineering, C.R. Bard, Brooks Automation and MediSense and was the CEO/founder of a software company.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Boston University and advanced studies in international executive management at Babson College and human resources management at University of New Hampshire. Additionally, he is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LGBC) and additionally holds the 5SC, TPM, Lean, Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA) certifications.

Ann Hargraves, SPHR

Ann Hargraves is a strategic Human Resources Consultant for businesses that strive to leverage the power of their team and talent to achieve growth and financial success. With extensive experience in rapid growth companies going through acquisitions and prosperous sales, she’s an expert in scaling for efficiency and high performance with a keen eye for long term operational sustainability.

She was the Human Resources Director for Kettle Cuisine, manufacturer of handcrafted, small batch, all-natural soups. She built the HR function and processes to assimilate the team with its new ownership. Prior to Kettle Cuisine, Ann was the Human Resources Director for a Keurig Business Unit where she designed compensation and benefits programs, learning and development programs, workforce planning, succession planning and talent management programs.

She is a graduate of Salem State University and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Tami Patten, CCA

Tami is the CEO and founder of So She Did…Transformational HR Solutions. So She Did focuses on helping people who want to experience a higher level of success, both personally and professionally. Tami is passionate about inspiring others to make meaningful changes and develop skills that will impact them personally and professionally.

Prior to founding So She Did, Tami held positions with Gulfstream Aerospace, Pearl Meyer & Partners, Liberty Mutual, Deknatel (a Pfizer Company), and Bank of America. Tami has spent over 25 years as a human resource professional in both the corporate and consulting industries. During this time, she gained essential experience in many disciplines, such as: general HR, compensation, mobility, expatriate administration, international HR, organizational development, learning & development, domestic and international training, enterprise-wide HR project management, and the list goes on.

Tami is a graduate of Lesley University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, and an Associate’s Degree in Human Resource Management. Tami has numerous certifications covering an array of subjects such as: compensation, international benefits, global remuneration, as well as many leadership and team training courses. She is a member of The John Maxwell Team and is able to facilitate and coach many of their courses.

Rachel Gordon, PHR, SHRM-CP, CCA

Rachel is a Senior Human Resources Consultant and has hands-on experience with all aspects of HR. Rachel is an accomplished HR professional with extensive experience identifying and acquiring top talent and developing strategies that support it, cultivating dynamic teams, meeting employee needs, developing policies, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. She is recognized for being a detailed-oriented invidiual with a proven ability to efficiently direct staff training and develop initiatives and standards that consistently optimize people to meet company goals. Rachel is passionate about growing teams for success.

Prior to joining the Compensation and HR Group, Rachel was the HR Director for Coretelligent, the HR Manager for the Greater Boston Food Bank and an HR Generalist for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s Studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She also holds several academic certificates in human resources including an Advanced Certificate in Strategic HR Management from Cornell University, and is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA).

Julie Levine, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CCA

Julie is a Senior Human Resources Consultant bringing over ten years of broad HR experience to the team, with a specific focus assisting smaller organizations develop their HR function. She has hands-on experience in all aspects of HR, including talent acquisition and management, HR policy, benefits, compensation, culture development and employee engagement. Additionally, she has unique understanding of the specific challenges of rapid growth, high change environments.

In addition to her career in Human Resources, Julie also brings a background in purchasing and project management, specifically supporting high end construction build-outs and renovations.

Julie has a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Boston University, and holds her SPHR, SHRM-SCP, and Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA) certifications.